Scots director Charlotte Wells took home the award for Best Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for her film Aftersun at The BAFTAs on Sunday night.
The Edinburgh-born writer and director dedicated the award to her late father as she thanked the producers, cast, and crew and said her film was a "eulogy" to her father, adding: "He’s not here, but my mum is".
Aftersun was up for four awards at Sunday nights award show held in London, with Paul Mescal losing out on the Best Actor accolade to Austin Butler for his stellar performance in Elvis.
Charlotte, whose father died when she was a teen, said: “I read online that somebody described this film as a eulogy and I suppose it is of sorts, a eulogy to my dad. By definition, he’s not here, but my mum is and she always has been. So this is for you.”
As well as paying tribute to her late parent, the filmmaker spoke about the tragic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria, as the countries are reeling from the horrific disaster.
“A special thank you to our Turkish crew. Most of our crew was Turkish. I don’t think anybody in that country has been untouched by the earthquake that has affected so much of Turkey and Syria,” she said. Paul watched from his seat as she spoke and appeared to have tears in his eyes before proudly applauding.
The Irish actor, who played Calum in the flick, looked proud in the audience as Charlotte, 35, accepted the award. The 26-year-old has been nominated for an Oscar for his heart-warming performance as Scots dad Calum.
Livingston-born actress Frankie Corio played his on-screen daughter, Sophie, in the emotional film, and fans have heaped praise on the youngster's performance. The 12-year-old was included in Variety’s ’10 Brits to Watch’ for her performance in the Oscar-nominated and critically acclaimed film.
Gushing over his young co-star, Paul told a star-studded audience the West Lothian youngster will “take over the world” as he stood up to collect his own gong for Artist of Distinction at the Newport Beach Film Festival
He said: “This is a crazy honour, it feels like yesterday I graduated from drama school. It feels like a short time and so much water has passed under the bridge. This lady here [Frankie Corio] is going to take over the world."
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletterhere.
